


The Concept of Ready

by Rougescribe (rougescribe)



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Drabble, F/M, Fluff, Headcanon, just friends or lovers?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:40:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21704605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rougescribe/pseuds/Rougescribe
Summary: Sometimes a connection between two people doesn't have to be defined by titles, but rather the trust and faith that they'll always have each other when they're ready to claim it.
Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia
Comments: 22
Kudos: 103





	The Concept of Ready

_Apparently, she has a thing for Natsu, too._

Most wouldn’t expect a laugh, but a short burst of empty amusement was Lucy’s only response at the time. She wasn’t the greatest at hiding her feelings, especially from a Mage who could read her with a swipe of a card or just with her observing dark eyes. The Celestial Mage knew what Cana was doing when she said ‘too’ - and while it may have escaped Juvia’s notice, it hadn’t missed hers. 

Emotions often burst through Lucy like over filled cups. So difficult to hide, so easy to replace with another to cover up true intentions and wants. Her denial through the past couple of years was something she prided herself on, but that didn’t mean she didn’t know the truth. 

_Better hurry.. She’s gonna take him!_

Take him? As if. Lucy knew better.

_She’s your love rival!_

That couldn’t be further from the truth. 

How could she tell them without spilling every thought, worry and question that was buried deep inside her rib cage? The understanding and lack of certainty- if allowed to boil up, to be seen by her own clarity- the two mages before her would figure it out instantly. Lucy couldn’t even muster an over the top reaction as she had done in the past. No shouting, no flustered, _‘i-it’s not like that, we’re just a team!!’-_ Just pouting, gaze fixated on the stone pavement at their feet. 

“I kind of feel sorry for her,” Touka, that is. She was honest with the words, even as she refused to meet Juvia and Cana’s expressions. Scratching her cheek, she mulled over her own words, not allowed them to dig deep under her skin. It was pure and simple.. 

Natsu wasn’t interested in romance. Her own active imagination had fooled her once years ago, convinced by Mirajane that he had liked her, flustered and prepared for him to ask her out, just to have her wings clipped. Her moment in the sun of childhood dreams and romantic fantasies dashed by a few simple words. He hadn’t realized it at the time, but it was the first, true moment, Lucy had realized- he just wasn’t cut out for those kinds of things. 

And that was okay. _She could accept it_. After all, what girl would REALLY want him of all people to date? Oh the lies she had once told herself to hide what was slowly building inside her heart. 

Time moves and flows, sometimes faster than one would want it to (especially in her case), and before she knew it, those feelings were not so easy to wave off. Her best friend. Her teammate. The one person she could always rely on, to make her feel safe when the rest of the guild wasn’t there. So dependable, but then gone for an entire year. It had truly hit home for her the day she realized she not only felt lonely when he left, but betrayed. The loss of the guild, the recurring loneliness that reflected the lonely days of her childhood- they all culminated into a bitter depression that turned the soft feelings she held for Natsu into a disappointed rage. 

He had been so good at simmering that rage, too. How he had managed it, how that anger had been flipped to a stringent fear of losing him again, Lucy couldn’t say- but it all had lead up to that one point before they’d ever taken off on their quest. 

_‘It doesn’t matter, cause we’ll be together forever from now on!’_

How those words had settled inside her like a warm weight, but left her with more questions than answers. The writer inside her mind had told her time and time again that there was no other way to interpret those words. Together forever was a strong declaration. Even if she didn’t know what they were, he wouldn’t say that to just anyone. Right? 

Unfortunately, the one nagging thought in her own mind, the cause of so many nights of overthinking, broke through her thoughts hourly: _You’ve misunderstood him before. This wouldn’t be the first time. How can you be so sure?_

There was no time to ask. Not really. And how does one broach that subject? Natsu wasn’t the type to hold serious discussions unless it was about his next fight, or a plan they were attempting. Time and time again, she wondered when or if there would be a moment to ask - if it would even matter if she did; time and time again she bit back on the words- silenced by one of his arms casually wrapped around her shoulders as he laughed, or tongue tied by a dimpled smile. 

Lucy hated how he could affect her so easily, and he couldn’t even see it, could he? It wasn’t until they had first learned of Touka, that the Celestial Mage finally found her voice. A night of sleep before moving onward and her thoughts were running rampant far too much. Rolling from one side to the other, hoping the sounds of her guild mates sleeping would ease her to sleep- Natsu had taken the initiative. 

“Somethin’ bothering ya, Lucy?” Straight to the point, yet he sounded tired, half asleep- had she woken him? When she asked, he snorted, “How can I sleep with ya tossing and turning like ya got ice princess freezing your bed. … .he didn’t put ice cubes in your sleeping bag did he?”

“Of course not!” She snapped, covering her mouth quickly at the sound. Crap, what if she woke someone? This was the reaction he had been looking for, as the Dragonslayer rolled over to face her, grinning madly as he chuckled. His scarf was settled beneath his head like a pillow and revealed the scar along his neck like a bright target. 

Lucy allowed herself to be distracted enough to stare at it. Better than looking him in the eye. Thoughts over the evening washed through her, remembering every detail Juvia had bestowed upon them- and then there was the brief moment she had teased Natsu about someone liking him. 

_‘I don’t know her-’_ He had said. She believed that, without a doubt, but- … what if he took an interest? She wouldn’t stop it, of course- but Lucy didn’t wish to be blindsided by it either. 

“- … are we just friends?” The words fell from her before she could fully decide what she had wanted to ask. His blank expression only spurred her onward, face turning red as she floundered. “I- I mean, I know you said we’d be together forever, but you know, you never finished what you were going to tell me before we left and now I just don’t know what it is you see between us.” His stare only grew more intense and the silence made her chest constrict. “Or you know, j-just forget I asked, I’ll go to sleep now!”

Rolling over, she forced her eyes shut and tried to ignore the burning sensation his gaze left on the back of her neck. It was hard to breathe, now that she had said it, chest constricting her airways in a frantic pace- her heart pounded in her ears. Apprehension and fear towards Natsu’s reaction clung to her like a sickness, while she struggled between wanting an answer and wishing he’d go to sleep, and act as if nothing happened later. 

His silence was as much a nail being struck against her as it was a cover. Just when she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, her body tensed as a strong, warm arm wrapped around her, circling her waist and gently pulling her back. She squeaked, attempted to roll over, but his grip was strong, kept her from facing him. Her back met the warmth of his naked chest and his movement ceased, but Lucy’s heart rate shot through her ribcage at such a rate, she thought she may pass out. 

“N-Natsu-?” She asked, voice a hasty whisper, frantic while she hissed, “-what do you think you’re doing-?!”

Burrowing his face into the back of her hair, Lucy’s voice fell flat- fire burning across her face until she felt she had lit up like christmas lights. She squirmed, looking for an opening to push away- it was too much, too fast, too close, too close to-

“I meant exactly what I said.” His voice came through the tresses of her hair, hot breath fanning along her neck as she shivered. Natsu’s grip tightened, his face tilting away when she tried to turn herself to see him. Was he hiding his face? “I ain’t going anywhere. We’re partners until the end and that’s that.”

The position of their bodies, his words- it was all so intimate, something a part of her had always wanted, while a much larger part screamed, wondering if she should have waited to ask. He still hadn’t confirmed anything, friends could stay together forever, that didn’t mean anything at all- why was she so scared? “So… you mean-?”

His voice continued to mumble through her hair, but she caught every word, “I know what sorta things girls like. Romantic stuff. I ain’t good at that. It’s not my thing. And I’ve read some of yer books you like. I can’t be any of that stuff either. We’ve got a lot of adventures to go on still before anything else right? An you still gotta find Aquarius.”

Lucy’s mouth ran dry, eyes watering with no real reason coming to her. “- Yeah, yeah I do.” He was right. They had other things to focus on. The job, Touka- this White Mage Juvia had warned them of… Finding Aquarius….

“I knew you’d get it.” He praised, grip finally loosening, but not enough to let her face him. “I don’t wantcha worrying about not bein’ able to get married to some random guys or the Guild disbanding.. Or even me leavin’ ya. I just wanted to assure ya somehow that no matter what, you’re not alone.” Lucy couldn’t stop the tear that trickled down her cheek, teeth biting into her bottom lip. Those emotions were threatening to spill over any second and-

“I’m just not ready for anything else, Lucy.”

It all came crashing down. What had she expected? Some quiet, loving confession? Of course not, but his words swam through her head in a mixture she couldn’t form a concoction over. Involuntarily, her voice shuddered, biting back a sob even as more tears seeped from her eyes. Why was she crying? The Slayer behind her tensed, his voice voice being laced with apprehension.

“Oi, I’m not- Lucy don’t cry!” He winced, hearing Erza mumble in her sleep, and tried to lower his voice. “Ugh, I toldja I’m not good at this!”  
  
“I’m sorry, I just.. I can’t tell if you’re saying we’ll stay friends forever or if you want more later on,” She admitted through a sudden ball lodged in her throat. She swallowed thickly, quietly hating herself for being this emotional. In a moment of whiplash, her body was rolled over- brown eyes meeting dark onyx as the familiar sensation of his forehead pressed against hers.   
  
“I’m saying,” He pressed, earnest to get his point across, “that I need ya t’wait for me.”

_Oh._

**_…. Oh!_ **

Somehow, that was all she needed- the confusion fell from her eyes and the roiling turmoil in her stomach settled to a ray of hope. Her eyes still watered, but understanding dawned on her face, cheeks pinkening all over again. Natsu wasn’t good at this sort of thing. She knew that. He had said it, and here she was trying to force out a confirmation. _Stupid, Lucy!_   
  
She didn’t even know if she was ready for anything else. He was right. There were far more pressing matters to focus on. Lucy released a shuddering breath, lips finally forming a small smile even as her packed emotions trickled down her cheeks. The contradictory actions puzzled Natsu, and he pulled back, nose scrunching as he observed her. With an embarrassed laugh, she quickly pushed on his chest, shoving him back to his own pallet, hands shaking from what had passed between them.   
  
Her heart was still pounding from the proximity. It made her far too light headed. 

“As long as we’re a team,” she said, smile finally overcoming her tears, “I can wait as long as we need.”

The only answer either of them needed was the silent grins that passed between them like a promise hidden between the lines. 

It was all the confirmation Lucy truly needed- and the memory bubbled just behind her lips while Cana and Juvia still stared her down. Her smile was small, soft even when the conversation finally switched back to the important issues. Natsu had been right when he said they had too many things to focus on. She didn’t know his current location, but she knew they’d see each other again soon. 

Until then, she’d keep her faith in his strength, and keep moving forward to save her friends. If Cana read her body language, to know there was more than she was saying- it didn’t matter. Right now, her words were more than true. 

“I mean, He has no interest-” They had jobs and more adventures to go on: she had aquarius and they had all the time in the world to explore what was between them on their own time. There was no rush.. No point in worrying, no sense in fearing that another may sweep him away from her. 

“ - in that sort of thing.” 

They both weren’t ready…

_Yet._


End file.
